4 Expert Tips for Cleaning Your Fur Coat

Don’t get us wrong; we love dressing for cold weather. What with the warm and luxurious pieces such as creamy cashmere knits and suede boots, we can’t help take an excited deep dive into our winter wardrobes once the time is right. That being said, fur coats—the most opulent of all winter pieces—can require more upkeep and care than any other item in our closets. As fashion lovers, we want to keep all of our clothes in their prime, which means knowing how to clean fur coats is essential.

Perhaps it’s due to the popularity of furs during the days of Hollywood glamour, but there’s something about wearing a fur coat that instantly makes your entire outfit look so much more expensive than it is, even if you’re throwing it over your pajamas à la Carrie Bradshaw. So, to make sure you’re giving your furs the best treatment possible, we tapped Gerard Maione, co-founder and CCO of What Goes Around Comes Around, to give us the 411 on what exactly goes into cleaning a fur coat in the most efficient way possible. Scroll down to see these essential steps now.

Take Your Furs to a Professional

According to Maione, the best way to clean fur coats is with a reputable furrier who specializes in fur cleaning. “The process puts the coat into a metal drum with sawdust and a special liquid cleaner for about 45 minutes, which extracts odors such as perfume and breaks down dirty buildup on the coat,” he says.

Do Your Research

“People should research for the right cleaner and typically clean their coat every year or two depending on how much they wear the coat. Fur storage in a proper climate is also suggested to take best care of the coat and not have it dry out,” says Maione.

Vintage Coats Require More Care

“True vintage fur coats could sometimes be too delicate to go through the metal drum process,” Maione shares, “so furriers do a process by hand, which is less rigorous but can be more expensive due to the special care.”

Be Ready to Spend Money

“Some people think they can clean a fur coat on their own with water, soap, brushing, regular dry cleaning, etc.,” Maione explains, “but the only proper way is to spend the money and have your furrier do the recommended cleaning process and preserve your fur.”